How to not conflate wealth with virtue and teach this to people?

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~sidetrack1 Feb 9, 2013

"Not all that shines is gold" but to often people seem to conflate wealth with virtue with is stupid b/c to often they get attached to the external function and/or aesthetic of beauty thinking that anything that is not beautiful (arguably "ugly" -_- ) is therefore viceful.I'm guessing that this is an especially important lesson to get across little kids but at the same time I wouldn't doubt that there are actually some cultures that espouse this ideal.`_` *No offense* but that's a vibe I get out of East Asian cultures.What is a good way to explain that it is not good to conflate wealth with virtue and that they can be very much seperate things with no bearing on each other?.

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*Trampire Feb 10, 2013

I know this isn't meant to be taken that way, but your obvious lack of wealth is very apparent here. It's okay! Not everyone can afford the world. It's okay to be educated and not have much as well!!

~mondu Feb 10, 2013

"I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."

~Lytrigian Feb 10, 2013 Hobbyist Writer

It'll also be a vibe you get out of "prosperity gospel" megachurches.

No way to counter it if it's ingrained, I don't think.

~Nenril-Tf Feb 10, 2013 Student Traditional Artist

Kalos Kai Agathos stopped lot years ago, let's try to read Cyrano...

~Ragerancher Feb 10, 2013

If anthing wealthy people are less virtuous (ie they tend to be more selfish, more willing to trample over people to achieve their goals, more arrogant etc) Unfortunately it's these traits that make them successful.

~LBtheCC Feb 9, 2013 Hobbyist General Artist

Beauty isn't virtue either but people will consistently attach virtuous qualities to the good-looking as well. Add that the wealthy can buy clothes and products that make them "look good" and you get people who everyone gets dazzled by. Unfortunately, there's little you can do to teach people not to "judge a book by its cover."

~sidetrack1 Feb 10, 2013

:I Thank you 4 bringing that up b/c now I feel like revising the question to adding "not conflating beauty with virtue" either.

~macker33 Feb 9, 2013 Student Traditional Artist

Thats materialism for ya,

in heian era japan they believed that beauty was a sign of moral integrity, ie. if you were ugly then you must be a bad person.

I dont know about now but jews used to think if you were unlucky then you must have done something to upset God, not unlike karma.

~Mothette Feb 9, 2013 Hobbyist General Artist

Are they so separate though?

~carusmm Feb 9, 2013 Student Writer

The rich are better than us.

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How to not conflate wealth with virtue and teach this to people?

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